Independent News & People Network Desk of News

Tea Board allocation rises 36% to ₹380 crore in Budget 2026-27

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:22:48+00:00

The Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana for tea worker welfare has been extended to FY27, targeting education and health interventions, especially for women and children in Assam and West Bengal

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Rewriting the MAT Playbook: Budget 2026 recasts MAT as Final Tax

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:20:57+00:00

Recognizing that companies have accumulated MAT credit under the old tax regime, the Budget 2026 provides transitional incentive to new tax regime, which anyway is not subject to MAT

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Pragmatism over populism for Viksit Bharat

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:15:36+00:00

Focus on issues and areas long neglected continues

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Road sector outlay hiked to ₹3.10 lakh crore

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:13:16+00:00

Strap: NHAI and asset maintenance see higher allocation in FY27

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Budget provides fillip to sandalwood cultivation

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:09:50+00:00

Centre to partner States to promote focused cultivation, post-harvest processing

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Pakistan targets Balochistan separatists after ‘unprecedented’ assaults

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T14:07:54+00:00

Officials say calm restored to province day after dozens killed in suicide and gun attacks in at least 10 citiesPakistan’s security forces have intensified their operations against separatist militants in Balochistan province who launched a major assault on Saturday in which at least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed.A day after the militants carried out suicide attacks in the heart of the provincial capital, Quetta, the chief minister of the south-western region, Sarfraz Bugti, said 145 people he described as militants had been killed in 40 hours and that their bodies were in

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A Budget of realism, resilience and reform

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:04:06+00:00

What is particularly reassuring is the Government’s choice to work with prudent and achievable estimates, reinforcing credibility and signalling policy continuity

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Subsidy allocation for food, fertiliser, fuel cut 5% to ₹4.3 trillion

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:01:47+00:00

The government’s fiscal health is closely tied to its spending on essential social safety nets, such as agricultural subsidies, rural employment programs, and direct farmer transfers

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Spotlight remains on a Coalition in chaos as parliament returns, with splits and spills looming over policy

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T14:00:35+00:00

Labor set to take advantage of shambles with blistering attacks in question time as Sussan Ley presides over barest opposition benches since 1943 Normally this column focuses on the agenda for the coming parliamentary week, unpacking a dense policy issue or two that will dominate the political discussion.This week is a little different. You would expect the government’s big agenda would be front and centre in the first regularly scheduled programming sitting week of the year – but not this Monday. Continue reading...

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‘Frustrated’ by slow pace of gambling ads reform, Labor caucus wants Wells to act

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T14:00:34+00:00

Documents released under FoI show Wells’ department worried about how gambling reforms would affect sporting codes and media companiesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThere is growing “frustration” in the government caucus about the delay to gambling advertising reforms, according to a group of Labor MPs who say they want the communications and sports minister, Anika Wells, to take action.Documents recently released under freedom of information laws revealing details of Wells’ meetings with major TV broadcasters about wagering restrictions show her department has conc

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Catch a falling star: cosmic dust may reveal how life began, and a Sydney lab is making it from scratch

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T14:00:32+00:00

Recreating cosmic dust may help answer questions about how meteorites hitting Earth came to contain the organic matter that they doGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHow does one acquire star dust? One option, as the Perry Como song suggests, is to catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, so to speak: thousands of tonnes of cosmic dust bombard the Earth each year, mostly vaporising in the atmosphere.The asteroid and comet fragments that don’t burn up – known as meteorites and micrometeorites if they hit Earth – provide scientists with valuable clues about the cos

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Real estate agents in Australia using apps that leave millions of lease documents at risk, digital researcher says

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T14:00:32+00:00

‘This is a blatant and disturbing disregard for the law and for people’s security,’ digital rights advocate saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian platforms used by real estate agents to upload documentation for renters and landlords are leaving people’s personal information exposed in hyperlinks accessible online.An analysis of seven rent platforms provided to Guardian Australia by a researcher, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed millions of leasing documents could be accessed by threat actors. Continue reading...

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Man convicted of child sexual abuse working as NSW touch football referee for juniors thanks to legal ‘loophole’

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T14:00:28+00:00

Safety advocates want laws strengthened to ensure child sexual abuse offenders cannot referee children’s sportGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man convicted of two child sexual abuse offences has been able to work as a referee for Touch Football NSW for more than a decade, including for junior teams, with the organisation citing a legal “loophole” for his continued employment.The New South Wales government passed new laws in September to strengthen the working with children check scheme and the Office of the Children’s Guardian is currently reviewing the framework t

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A capital markets lens on a stability-driven, growth-centric blueprint

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T14:00:08+00:00

From semiconductors and biopharma to textiles, MSMEs and urban economic clusters, the Budget signalled a clear intent to deepen domestic manufacturing while insulating the economy from external shock

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Tülay Hatimogullari : « La politique menée par Ankara en faveur de Damas a porté atteinte aux négociations avec les Kurdes en Turquie »

Source: Le Monde - International · Published: 2026-02-01T14:00:06+00:00

Si elle se félicite de l’accord conclu, vendredi 30 janvier, entre le gouvernement syrien et les Forces démocratiques syriennes (FDS), dominées par les Kurdes,⁠ la députée turque du parti prokurde DEM s’inquiète de son impact sur l’avancée du processus engagé entre les autorités turques et le Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK).

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Budget resolves long-standing dilemma on TDS for contract work

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:58:37+00:00

The statement addresses a persisting confusion regarding Section 393 of the Income Tax Act that provided varied TDS for contract work (1-2%) and professional work (2-10%)

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Budget ignored interests of Tamil Nadu: Chief Minister Stalin

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:57:51+00:00

AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami stated that the allocation of ₹2,000 crore for credit access and ₹10,000 crore for MSME growth will benefit entrepreneurs and small industries, especially in Tamil Nadu’s strong MSME sector

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Land assets of CPSEs to be monetised via REIT route

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:54:13+00:00

In 2021, the FM had announced setting up a special purpose vehicle that would handle the monetisation of the land and non-core assets of government owned companies

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Karnataka says no meaningful commitments on infra, farms in Union Budget

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:50:39+00:00

Congress leaders termed the budget a ‘betrayal’, saying it offered little in infrastructure funding, support for cities, farmers or job creation, even as allocations under key schemes remained unclear

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Furthering the ease of doing business agenda

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:47:34+00:00

Simplifying tax rules, decriminalising economic offences, digitising Customs operation are the highlights

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Lack for direction for railways

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:45:19+00:00

Misplaced investments continue even as rail finances are in dire straits

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Govt to borrow record ₹17.2 lakh crore in FY27

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:38:20+00:00

Fiscal deficit is pegged at 4.3%; the net market borrowings from dated securities are estimated at ₹11.7 lakh crore

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Rare earth corridor to boost clean energy, strategic mineral security

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T13:32:54+00:00

The initiative is timely given India’s expansion in renewable energy, electric vehicles, electrolysers, and sensors, all of which rely on rare earth elements for components like magnets, batteries, and catalysts

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‘I’ve never taken drugs or drunk alcohol,’ says Zack Polanski

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T13:28:21+00:00

Green party leader wants to legalise all drugs, regulate their use and not be ‘the fun police’The leader of the Green party, Zack Polanski, has said he has never taken drugs or “even drunk alcohol” in his life, but wants to legalise all drugs and regulate their use.Polanski made the admission on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, when he was asked if he had taken drugs at university. “I’ve actually never taken a drug in my life, or even drunk alcohol, but I still don’t sit here as the fun police,” he said. Continue reading...

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